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Helic Republic
The Helic Republic is a fictional state on the planet Zi from the Zoids universe. The Republic's government appears to be based on a form of representative senate or council, but its leader does not appear to be elected directly by the population. This is evidenced by the fact that the first president, Helic Muroa II, served for at least 78 years. The Republic is usually depicted as the "protagonist" force in Zoids stories. The Chaotic Century anime portrays the Republic as a benevolent force that fights for just causes, whereas the Battle Story narrative paints a more realistically ambiguous situation. Battle Story The Helic Republic was formed by Helic Muroa. Originally the leader of the Wind Tribe and its allies, he grew tired of the death and destruction brought about by the tribal wars on Nyx, especially in the clashed between him and his main rival—Guylos, leader of the Earth Tribe and associated groups. Desperate for a solution, he traveled to Nyx, and ended up leading the native pilots and their Zoids back onto his own people and Guylos' alike. His gambit worked: with an outside enemy to defeat, the various groups came together, and peace appeared to come to the land. This was the birth of the Republic itself: Helic laid out a democratic system with assemblies and council alike, attempting to treat the various tribes equally. He had two sons: one Helic II (by a woman from the Wind Tribe), and the second Zenebas (by Guylos' sister, a woman descended from Earth Tribe soldiers). His hope was that they'd rule his Republic together, balancing political and military strength from originally warring sides. However, after his death in ZAC 1975, this was not to be. Zenebas favored a far more aggressive strategy than most of the Republic, opting for "conquer them before they conquer us", as it were. As a result, he caused trouble, and in return was often stifled and dismissed by the Wind Tribe-biased council and his brother. The end result, after some confrontation, was Zenebas' exile and forming his own Empire along with much of Guylos' old armies. (Guylos himself appears to have left for Nyx, perhaps already plotting to use the invading Zoids to his eventual advantage.) Tensions mounted between the two nations leading to, in ZAC 1980, a border dispute over the Red River area that triggered the first Central Continent War. The war continued for some forty years, consisting mainly of low-intensity skirmishes. During this time, both sides used early Zoids as well as conventional infantry forces. Matters changed in ZAC 2029 when an Earth ship, the Globally III, crashed in the middle of the continent. The surviving humans were absorbed into both the Republic and the Zenebas Empire. Using the advanced Earth technologies, both sides were able to improve the power of their Zoids. The intensity of the war increased as both sides began to field newer and more powerful weapons. In ZAC 2030, the Republic deployed the Gojulas and used it to great effect against the Zenebas forces. However, the Zenebas Empire counterattacked with the Iron Kong, causing the war to continue until ZAC 2039 when the Republic deployed the super-heavy Ultrasaurus Zoid. The Ultrasaurus' firepower was enough to drive back the Zenebas forces, the Republic eventually taking their capital and ending the war. Zenebas himself fled to the Dark Continent of Nyx. In ZAC 2042, however, Zenebas returned with a new army of powerful new Zoids. The new forces quickly regained control of the old Zenebas Empire, then invaded the Republic. In ZAC 2044, the Zenebas Empire used the new Death Saurer to destroy the Republic's capital. The remaining Helic forces fled to the mountains at the eastern end of the continent and waged a guerrilla war against the Zenebas Forces. The Helic army used this time to secretly build a new weapon to defeat the Deathsaurer, the Madthunder. In ZAC 2048, the Madthunder was completed and used to spearhead an assault on the captured capital. The Zenebas forces, unable to stop the new Zoid, were driven back to their own territory. The Helic army continued, driving towards the Zenebas capital once more. Zenebas, once again, turned to Guylos...who betrayed him, attacking both Republic and Empire forces in the area and absorbing what remained of the Empire army for his own. As extra insurance, he kidnapped both Zenebas himself and his daughter, Elena. In ZAC 2051, strange events began to occur. Plants and animals began to die, the ground became parched and lakes and rivers dried up, as if the continent itself was dying. The source of these events was revealed as the Guylos Empire's army, which used a number of 'Dark Zoids' powered by Deochalcum. In order to counter the Guylos forces, the Republic invaded the Dark Continent in ZAC 2053. What started as an invasion turned into a bloody stalemate, and then an all-out disaster, as Guylos Empire's Gilvaders destroyed the Republic's army. The Gilvader force then attacked the Republic, devastating it before being stalled by Orudios. In ZAC 2056, the Republic launched a counter-attack with the King Gojulas, aimed at destroying the Guylos Empire. As the Republic's forces prepared for the final assault on the Guylos capital, disaster struck. A comet struck one of the three moons of Zi, shattering it and causing debris to rain down on Zi. The meteors devastated the planet; the Central Continent was split into three sections while a portion of the Dark Continent sank into the ocean. Both the Republic and the Guylos Empire suffered severe losses and were unable to wage war; instead they were left struggling to survive. Zenebas himself died, leaving behind two known heirs: his daughter Elena, and the young Prozen, who swore to rebuild his father's Empire. The Republic, now in complete control of the Central Continent, spent the next thirty years rebuilding itself after the devastation under its new leader, President Louise Camford--Elena in disguise, having taken over for her uncle. In ZAC 2099, the Guylos Empire invaded the Western Continent of Europa, aiming to use it as a staging ground for an invasion of the Republic. The two nations again went to war, the Republic eventually driving the Empire back in ZAC 2101. The Helic forces then launched an invasion of the Dark Continent, aimed at defeating the Guylos Empire once and for all. The invasion was a disaster for both factions, with both the Helic and Guylos armies being wiped out by the emerging Neo-Zenebas Empire. The Guylos capital city, Valhalla, was all but destroyed by Prozen's Death Saurer: after being mortally wounded by Karl Schwarz, he opted to self-destruct, taking the Guylos and Helic armies surrounding him and the city along with as a crushing blow to both sides' military strength. The Neo-Zenebas forces swept onto the Central Continent, reclaiming the western half as their new Zenebas Empire. They were now led by Wolff, Prozen's son, and many of the people of the continent supported them, wanting to see the return of their original leaders. They continued their campaign to bring the entire continent under their control, using the new Seismosaurus Zoid to crush the Helic forces and again take the capital in ZAC 2106. President Camford was apparently killed in the battle, her son, Colonel Rob Herman, taking control of the remnants of the Republic. The Helic army fled to the Eastern Continent where they came into contact with the remnants of the Guylos Empire and the ZOITEC corporation. The Republic built a new army and, in ZAC 2109, invaded the continent, driving towards their capital. The Helic forces engaged the Zenebas army, the two sides being evenly matched. Wolff was left at a loss for what to do: he'd tried to rebuild the Empire and rule fairly, but it seemed nothing would stop the struggle between the two nations. During a battle with his rival, Ray Gregg, Wolff's customized Energy Liger was badly damaged by the Liger Zero Falcon. Its Energy Charger was left feeding a dead core, overloading in a way that threatened to parallel his father's Death Saurer. Unlike Prozen, Wolff opted for a cooperative end: he worked together with Ray Gregg to connect his Zoid to the Zero Falcon, siphoning the excess energy off into the sky as a massive energy beam. The exact outcome of the battle after that is unclear. However, it appears to have come to a Republic victory, and peace appears to have come to Zi by the Three Tigers era: Zoids are used more for sports battles and peacekeeping. As of ZAC 2230, the Helic Republic still survives in some form. Anime The Helic Republic serves as the "protagonist" faction during Zoids Chaotic Century. The Republic's origins in the series are unclear, though Prozen describes them as "rebels usurping the land", making it likely that the Helic Republic split off from the Guylos Empire at some point. The Republic resembles the version found in the original battle story, only controlling the eastern half of the Continent. At some stage, the Republic went to war with the Guylos Empire. This war was rather indecisive, and left a large section of the continent as a vast no man's land of wild gangs, small towns and abandoned military facilities. Prior to the death of the Guylos Emperor, the Empire once again invaded the Republic. Despite initial setbacks, the Empire was able to swiftly advance through the Republic and reach the gates of its capital. A second Imperial force staged an amphibious assault on the capital, surrounding it. Before the Imperial forces could attack, however, the new Guylos Emperor Rudolph Zeppelin III recalled his forces and ended the war. Despite this, tensions still remained between the two nations. Guylos regent Gunter Prozen used this as an opportunity to stage a coup, kidnapping Rudolph and framing the Republic in order to restart the war. However, the truth behind Prozen's plot was revealed, the Republican army sided with the Imperial forces loyal to Rudolph. Prozen tried to destroy them with a Deathsaurer, however the combined armies were able to defeat him. Following the war, the Republic and Empire signed a peace agreement. The two nations formed a joint peacekeeping force known as the Guardian Force. However, the Republic would later come under attack by an Ancient Zoidian known as Hiltz, using a Death Stinger. Hiltz devastated large areas of the Republic, including the capital. He also attempted to destroy the Empire with a resurrected Deathsaurer, but was defeated by the Guardian Force. Its worth noting that the Republic's capital building in New Helic City bears an uncanny resemblance to the real-world White House. It is not clear if the Helic Republic still exists at the time of Zoids: New Century, or if it ever existed in Fuzors. However, in episode 24 of the former series, a Judge Capsule impacts in an area where wrecks of skyscrapers are seen. Since New Helic City is one of two location's in the Chaotic Century/Guardian Force to have skyscrapers, it may be New Helic City or an Ancient Zoidian city that was hidden, due to it containing The Zoid Eve, and Ultimate Deathsaurer. Republican Zoids The Helic Republic created the first full-scale Zoid, the Garius in the ZAC 1930s. Other early Zoids include the Elephantus, Glidoler and Bigasaur. With the arrival of humans, the Republic was able to create newer and more powerful Zoids like the Gojulas, Gordos and Godos. The Republic's Zoids are usually grey or blue in colour, with dull grey or black parts and smoke-coloured or orange canopies. Earlier Republican Zoids had canopy-style cockpit covers, while later ones had eye-like canopies, similar to the Empire's Zoids. Aside from those mentioned above, other notable Republic Zoids include the Shield Liger, Blade Liger, Command Wolf, Gun Sniper, Shadow Fox, Storm Sworder, Madthunder and Ultrasaurus. Ironically, one of the most notable Republic Zoids, the Liger Zero, is actually a design stolen from the Guylos Empire. Additional Resources Zoid Archives (Japanese) History of Zoids translation, part 1 Category:Zoids factions Category:Locations Category:Battle Story